5W5s

The 5w5s project is to develop a Set-top-Box (STB) power management device, which is called “5w5s” device, to reduce the STB power usage. As we know that Set-top Boxes convert signals from cable or satellite to video and sound signals, which can be displayed on TVs or other display device. Set-top Boxes consume 20-40 watts of power and they almost use the same amount of power when they are off as they are actually “on”. There are 120 million of Set-top boxes in the U.S. So to reduce STB power usage becomes very important.

The 5w5s Device is an intelligent Set-Top-Box (STB) power management device which is adaptive to people’s behaviors and further will determine and change the set-top-box power state based on the users current activities and their patterns of behavior collected and stored before.

The project is divided into two phases. The 5w5s Device phase I is a standalone device which determines whether the set-top box should be fully powered up, put into sleep mode or even disconnect power completely based on past pattern of behavior and the sensor data. While the phase II will be taken onto the next level with improvement not only with reduced cost and size, but also have the ability to integrate with STB or other system in order to perform the power control with different power modes: On, Sleep and Off.